


Partnership in the Making

by BatSnake



Series: Tales from the Sunset Zone [1]
Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-29
Updated: 2010-11-29
Packaged: 2017-10-13 10:59:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/136581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatSnake/pseuds/BatSnake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stressed by a rough morning, Regina Bushroot finds that a pep-talk from the Liquidator is just what she needs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Partnership in the Making

Regina Bushroot's morning had been terrible. Her sleep had been disturbed by Abbey knocking her out of her hammock while she was chasing a bee, causing the heel-like end of her roots to break off, forcing her to walk with a slight limp. She remembered that she was holding a meeting with her three male comrades when two of them, Megavolt and Quackerjack, arrived at her greenhouse quite unexpectedly.

Then things started turning for the worst. Megavolt had seen most of her plantlights and started moaning about how horrible she was for enslaving his brethren. While he was trying to take a bulb out, he tumbled over a baby primrose bush, breaking its stem. Bushroot shrieked with shock and yanked the rat away. "Look what you've DONE!? At least I'm not hurting your lightbulbs!" She barked furiously. "Yes you are! You're draining their energy and trapping them in a tight socket where they can't escape and they burn up!" Megavolt snapped back. "WEEDS!" Quackerjack screamed behind them, interrupting their argument. "There are weeds in here!" He jumped into the tulip bed and pulled a few out. "I'll take care of 'em for you, 'Mama B'!"  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Bushroot howled, pulling him out. "Those are tulips!" She hissed. "Oh," Quackerjack dropped the flowers. "Oops?" He grinned sheepishly. "GAH! A BEE!" Megavolt swatted at a bee that was flying around him. "I'll show you, pesky insect!" He snarled, shooting a stream of electricity at it. "No! Leave it alone! That's one of my pollinators!" She jumped away from Quackerjack and toward Megavolt, whose electricity zapped a patch of flowers and setting it in flames. "Way to go, Joe!" Quackerjack voiced Mr. Bananabrain to Megavolt, taking him out from nowhere. Regina, meanwhile shrieked and grabbed a hose, turning on the nozzle and sending a spray of water at her inflamed flowers. The flames were extinguished, but the middle section of the flowers had been replaced by steaming soil. "I think we made her ma-ad." Megavolt stepped back, noticing the look of fury on Bushroot's face.

"Get-OUT!" She shrieked. "OUT-OUT-OUT!"She grabbed them by the back of their necks and shoved them out towards the door. Abbey swiftly bounded over and opened the door for her to push them out, quaking at her mistress' sudden fury. Megavolt and Quackerjack landed with hard thumps on the ground. "And don't come back in until you've calmed down! You can get caught by Darkwing Duck for all I care!" Regina slammed the door shut to finalize her attitude. Megavolt and Quackerjack stared in silence, and took a nervous glance at each other. "This is all your fault!" Quackerjack pointed an accusing finger at Megavolt.

Bushroot slid against the door, groaning. "I can't believe how...inconsiderate they were!" She tucked her legs close to her with a small sob. "I know, babies," She cooed toward the plants that were calling her. She was right about to get up before the hose started swinging on its on. She gave a small yelp and pushed her back against the wall. A burst of water shot out of it and it landed with a splash in front of her. The puddle rose up into a pillar and took the shape of the last fourth of her group-the Liquidator. He beamed as his shape fully formed and he held his broad arms out widely.

"I'm terribly sorry that I'm late! Darkwing Duck gave me a good ring-around the rosy in the sewers." Liquidator's grin faded when he noticed Bushroot's desolate state. "Inquiring minds wonder, what happened?" He asked with sudden concern. "Megavolt and Quackerjack did." Bushroot replied, rubbing her eyes. "They can't show any respect to my plants." Liquidator looked around the corner, where he saw the broken bush and patch of incinerated dirt where flowers once were. He picked up one of the tulips that Quackerjack had called a "weed". He cast a sentimental glance toward her. "I see," He said, pulling in his barrel chest with a huff. Bushroot stood up and opened a cabinet, taking out a roll of support twine. "I had hoped you'd arrive before my little explosion." She sighed, walking past Liquidator and kneeling beside the bush that Megavolt had broken. "There, there, baby, I'll fix you right up," She crooned. Liquidator leaned against a tree and watched her work diligently to fix the damage to her plants. He cracked a wide smile, charmed by her behavior. "You know," He began. "I always call Megavolt insane for crying over a broken lightbulb, but I'm quite charmed by your affection for your damaged plants." He said. "That's because my plants are actually alive. Those lightbulbs aren't. They have no cellular structure; they don't have a resource to feed off of; they don't reproduce. They're inanimate! And they were created specifically FOR us to use! They CAN'T be called 'slaves'!" She patted the soil next to the bush tenderly.

"How do you feel about people using plants for their needs?" Liquidator lifted an ear in curiosity. Regina sighed. "While I don't like it that they get eaten, it's part of what they do. They're the most important part of the biological food chain. No matter what ecosystem, the plants are always the biggest part of it. It's almost noble. Not only that, but they practically control if we live or die. It's like they control the earth." She said. "Ah, but plants are only a small part of that. Let's not forget what plants need to survive!" Liquidator grinned. "Sun, oxygen, water..." She stopped and glanced at Liquidator, who had put on a sly Cheshire Cat grin. "Are you saying you're better than my plants?!" She demanded. Liquidator chortled and shook his large hands. "No." He knelt beside her and put his hand on the soil at the base of the primrose. "I'm saying plants can't support life on their own. They need help from life-giving water. You of all people should know that." He said. Regina tilted her head and snapped toward the primrose. Suddenly, its broken stem snapped back together and the whole plant grew an entire foot longer and wider, with more flowers sprouting on its branches. It even widened enough that the twine broke. "I see," She said, stricken with awe at what just happened. "I'm going to have to test your water sometime. My plants never react that way the hose."

Liquidator chuckled. "I think you'll find that I'm so pure, an ordinary person would not be able to handle me without getting sick!" He said. "But as you can see, plants love me!" He swirled above Regina. "Are you a lone-player in crime? Do you struggle with a truly good heist? Team up with the Liquidator! You'll be able to pull off schemes faster than ever before! With your mastery of the botanical world and my control of liquids, we'll be the most feared criminal team in all of St. Canard!" He grinned. "So...is it a sell?" He asked. Before Regina could answer, Megavolt's nasally voice called from the door. "Hey, Reggie, are you done throwing a fit yet?"

"Ohh, just as I was getting comfortable." Bushroot groaned. "I'll help you handle them," Liquidator smiled. "She just needed some Liquidator brand consultation. You'll find that she's all back to normal. Though, the surgeon general highly recommends that you respect your host's home and her plants." He said. "You say it, Jay!" Mr. Bananabrain appeared in a crack in the door. "Come on in," Regina sighed. With Liquidator present, Megavolt and Quackerjack were a bit more under control, and they began conducting a plan to keep Darkwing Duck out of their business. All the while, Regina could not stop taking small glances at Liquidator. He seemed to be doing it toward her as well. "Perhaps I should buy that offer," Regina mumbled to herself. "Plants do like to have their water close..."


End file.
